Faten Mreish mourns her son’s body at a hospital morgue in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, August 28, 2024, following an Israeli airstrike that claimed his life along with others.
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
JERUSALEM – The sheer scale of suffering inflicted by the Israel-Hamas conflict on Gaza’s population is difficult to fully grasp through statistics alone.
Yet, these figures reveal the profound disruption endured by the 2.1 million Palestinians residing within Gaza’s 365 square kilometers (140 square miles), illustrating the widespread destruction and human cost of the ongoing war.
For every ten residents, one has been either killed or wounded by Israeli strikes. Nine out of ten have been uprooted from their homes. At least 30% face severe food shortages, going days without a meal. Among children, four out of every hundred have lost one or both parents. Eight out of ten buildings that once stood are now damaged or completely destroyed, and nine out of ten homes lie in ruins. Agricultural lands have not been spared either, with over 75% of cropland reduced to rubble.
The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an unexpected assault on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths-mostly civilians-and the capture of 251 hostages taken into Gaza.
In retaliation, Israeli authorities vowed a severe military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas and securing the release of the hostages.
Below is a detailed examination of the war’s devastating impact, quantified through key statistics.
Approximately 11% of Gaza’s residents have suffered death or injury
Cemeteries are overwhelmed, and mass burial sites have become common across Gaza. Israeli air raids have wiped out entire families within their homes. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 2,000 individuals have died while seeking food aid. In some instances, Israel has admitted to firing warning shots at desperate crowds attempting to access humanitarian assistance.
Healthcare infrastructure has been severely compromised by Israeli strikes and restrictions on medical supplies, forcing medical personnel to treat severe burn injuries with minimal resources. Israel contends that hospitals are targeted because Hamas uses them as operational bases, though evidence remains limited. Hamas security forces have been observed within medical facilities, restricting access to certain areas. Israel maintains that import controls are necessary to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas.
This conflict has become the deadliest ever recorded for journalists, healthcare workers, and United Nations aid personnel, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and the U.N. The British Medical Journal notes that the pattern of injuries in Gaza resembles those seen among U.S. combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
International experts commissioned by the U.N. and prominent human rights organizations have accused Israel of committing genocide, allegations that Israel strongly rejects.
To date, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 67,000 Palestinians killed and nearly 170,000 wounded, with more than 40,000 suffering injuries that drastically alter their lives, as per the World Health Organization. These figures exclude thousands believed to be trapped beneath collapsed buildings. The ministry, operated by Hamas-affiliated medical professionals, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but its data is widely regarded as credible by the U.N. and independent analysts.
Israel attributes the high civilian casualties to Hamas embedding itself within residential neighborhoods, effectively using civilians as shields. Nonetheless, many strikes have hit homes without clear targets, resulting in numerous civilian deaths.
Displacement affects nearly the entire population; thousands remain unaccounted for
Countless Palestinian families have been forced to flee repeatedly across Gaza, relocating every few months to evade ongoing Israeli military operations. Many have endured multiple displacements, moving between apartments and improvised tent settlements in a desperate bid for survival. These overcrowded tent cities now dominate much of southern Gaza.
Such upheaval has fractured families, with heavy bombardments burying thousands under debris. Israeli forces have detained hundreds of men suspected of Hamas affiliations, further separating loved ones.
Israeli forces control most of Gaza’s territory
Israel’s military has seized control over the majority of Gaza, confining most Palestinians to a narrow coastal strip in the south. Under this control, Gaza’s landscape has been dramatically altered: entire neighborhoods in Gaza City and surrounding agricultural towns have been razed, new roads constructed, and military installations established.
The destruction blankets an area roughly twelve times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Satellite imagery analyzed by the U.N.’s Satellite Center estimates that over 102,000 buildings have been demolished, including schools, universities, clinics, mosques, greenhouses, and family residences.
Food insecurity affects at least 30% of the population
Long lines form at charity kitchens where Palestinians compete for meager portions of lentils. Infants suffer from severe malnutrition, some weighing less than their birth weight. After months of warnings from humanitarian organizations, the world’s foremost authority on food crises declared Gaza City to be in a state of famine as of August. Israel disputes this classification.
Entire towns have been devastated
Once fertile towns across Gaza, where farmers cultivated strawberries, watermelons, wheat, and other grains, now lie deserted and flattened. Between May and October 2025, relentless Israeli bombardment and demolitions nearly obliterated the town of Khuzaa, a vital agricultural hub supplying the city of Khan Younis.
As the conflict enters its third year, Israel has intensified its campaign to capture Gaza City and eliminate Hamas militants believed to be entrenched there.
Israel also aims to rescue the 48 hostages still held in Gaza, with israel/” title=”… Reacts Strongly as UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognize Palestinian State”>approximately 20 believed to be alive. Since the onset of the war, 465 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in Gaza.
Meanwhile, a new U.S.-proposed peace initiative is under consideration, even as Israeli armored units and infantry advance toward the heart of Gaza City.
